The low carbon future

Britain's energy mix is set to change dramatically and the way we manage our electricity network needs to change too.

We all need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels like gas and petrol and change to renewable sources of power.

As a result, demand for electricity is expected to increase significantly as customers start to use more electric heat pumps and electric vehicles.

We also need to adapt so that low carbon generation sources such as wind and solar power can connect directly to our network.

Here at Electricity North West we are preparing for the future in a number of ways:

We are striving to improve how we manage our network with new research, innovation and technology
We are developing ‘smart grid’ technologies to enable us to intelligently manage our network and match supply with demand in the best way possible
We are developing innovative new contracts to benefit our low carbon customers
We are continually taking steps to reduce energy usage and encourage our customers to use electricity more efficiently.

The low carbon agenda is driven by the Climate Change Act (2008) which commits the UK to reduce carbon emissions by at least 80% of 1990 levels by 2050.

Electricity North West's central outlook for load growth at our major substations is shown in our long-term development statement.